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Harassment, Bullying & Cyber-Intimidation in
Schools will discuss definitions and
the personal, social, and legal ramifications associated with sexual
harassment, bullying, and cyber-intimidation. The course will address what we
know about these troubling areas. We will then explore preventative strategies
as well as how school staff can address these issues when they occur. A clear
understanding of what constitutes harassment and the harmful effects of
harassment on people and institutions is essential to providing a safe and
inclusive school environment for all.

This
computer-based instruction course is a self-supporting program that provides
instruction, structured practice, and evaluation all on your home or school
computer.Technical support information
can be found in the Help section of your course.

Course Materials (Online)

Title:Harassment,
Bullying & Cyber-Intimidation in Schools

Instructor: Dr.
Candyce Reynolds, Ph.D.

Publisher: Virtual
Education Software, inc. 2009, Revised 2013

Academic
Integrity Statement

The structure and format of most distance-learning courses
presume a high level of personal and academic integrity in completion and
submission of coursework. Individuals enrolled in a distance-learning course
are expected to adhere to the following standards of academic conduct.

Academic Work

Academic
work submitted by the individual (such as papers, assignments, reports, tests)
shall be the student’s own work or appropriately attributed, in part or in
whole, to its correct source. Submission of commercially prepared (or group
prepared) materials as if they are one’s own work is unacceptable.

Aiding Honesty in Others

The individual will encourage honesty in
others by refraining from providing materials or information to another person
with knowledge that these materials or information will be used improperly.

Violations of these academic
standards will result in the assignment of a failing grade and subsequent loss
of credit for the course.

Level of
Application

This course is designed to be an
informational course that deepens your understanding of the laws and issues
surrounding harassment, bullying and cyber-intimidation while providing
assistance to victims who seek help.In
addition, you will have increased awareness of the conditions that lend
themselves to the creation and support of harassment and of the impact of
harassment on individuals, schools, and the workplace.Finally, you will learn specific steps that
individuals and organizations can take in order to prevent and respond to
incidents of harassment.

Expected Learning
Outcomes

At the conclusion of this
course students will be able to:

·To trace the recent history and development of harassment and its
relationship to discrimination, thereby increasing knowledge and understanding
of its impact on individuals and the workplace

·To increase awareness and understanding of social and cultural factors
contributing to harassment, and the response to and perception of harassment

·To know and understand the legal and operational definitions of
harassment

·To know and understand the forms of sexual harassment and its
relationship to prejudice, discrimination, and power differentials

·To know and understand the concepts behind the term “reasonable woman”
as it pertains to sexual harassment issues

·To provide guidelines for the development and implementation of a
sexual harassment policy applicable to the school or work site

·To increase knowledge of the extent and impact of sexual harassment on
the victim and in the workplace

·To understand the steps that can be taken if someone is sexually harassed

·To identify strategies/behaviors to stop sexual harassment

·To increase knowledge of the responsibilities of supervisors and
organizations in preventing and responding to harassment

·To know about gender harassment on the Internet and preventative steps
to take

·To identify the dynamics of bullying in general

·To know the impact of bullying on the individuals involved

·To comprehend the impact of bullying on the school environment

·To understand the definition of cyber-bullying and intimidation

·To understand the methods used in cyber-bullying

·To be aware of the types of cyber-bullying that can occur

·To identify prevention strategies for bullying and cyber-bullying that
schools can implement

·To offer ways that schools can support parents in preventing
cyber-bullying

·To know and understand remediation possibilities for bullying and
cyber-bullying

Course
Description

Our educational institutions are, ideally, places
where faculty and students are able to work and learn in a setting that is free
from intimidation and offensive, hostile behavior.Unfortunately, this is not always the
case.Harassment, specifically sexual
harassment, bullying, and cyber-intimidation, effectively prevents this type of
environment.As a result, all members of
the academic community have a constant and meaningful interest in eliminating
all forms of harassment. Schools have a de
facto obligation to provide all persons with the promise of being able to
develop professionally, intellectually, personally, and socially in egalitarian
and humane surroundings.

Sadly, harassment in schools is more prevalent than we
would like to imagine.It is estimated
that 80% of middle school students have suffered from sexual harassment.A 2001 AAUW study found that 58% of 8-11th
grade girls reported being sexually harassed often or occasionally.Startlingly, 39% of 8-11th grade
girls reported that they were sexually harassed on a daily basis.Project PAVE (2008) in Denver, CO reports
that 5 million elementary and junior high students are impacted by bullying in
the U.S. With the advent of social networking sites on the internet, sexual
harassment and bullying have also moved into cyberspace. An i-SAFE America
survey of more than 20,700 5th to 8th graders found that
37% reported that someone had said or done mean or hateful things to them
online.A study of teenagers found that
70% of those who reported being a victim of sexually harassing behavior
experienced it over the internet (Kelsey, 2007).

The risk that all public and private school
environments face is high in terms of diminished productivity, lost time, and
profound legal ramifications and financial liability for both the harasser and
the administration.The increasing
prevalence of all forms of harassment has generated increased awareness and
involvement of courts, legislatures, society, school districts, students,
parents, and staff.This increased
awareness has lowered tolerance for harassment and inappropriate behavior in
schools.It is essential that
institutions and workplaces confront and address harassment, as it constitutes
a violation of an individual’s legal rights.Harassment also threatens the physical and emotional well-being and
performance of staff and interferes with the learning experience of students.

This class will discuss definitions and the personal,
social, and legal ramifications associated with sexual harassment, bullying,
and cyber-intimidation. The following sections will address what we know about
these troubling areas. The final section will explore preventative strategies
as well as how school staff can address these issues when they occur. A clear
understanding of what constitutes harassment and the harmful effects of
harassment on people and institutions is essential to providing a safe and
inclusive school environment for all.

·Complete all examinations, showing a competent understanding of
the material presented.

·Complete a review of any chapter on which your examination score was
below 70%.

·Retake any examination, after completing an
information review, to increase that examination score to a minimum of 70% (maximum
of three attempts). *Please note: Minimum exam score
requirements may vary by college or university; therefore, you should refer to
your course addendum to determine what your minimum exam score requirements
are.

·Complete all course journal article and essay writing assignments with
the minimum word count shown for each writing assignment.

·Complete a course evaluation form at the end of the course.

Chapter Topics

Chapter 1 - Sexual
Harassment

Introduction

Sexual Harassment

Definition of Sexual
Harassment

Sexual Nature

Quid Pro Quo

Hostile Environment

Scenario

Recognizing Harassment

Workplace Components

Impact of Sexual Harassment

Effects of Sexual Harassment

Scenario

Chapter 2 - Bullying &
Cyber-Intimidation

Overview

Definitions

Scenario

Cyber-Bullying Behaviors

Scenario

Cyber-Bullying Technologies

Face-to-Face Bullying vs.
Cyber-Bullying

Understanding the Dynamics of
Bullying

Chapter 3 - Prevention
& Intervention

The Need

Developing a Safe
Organizational Culture

The Law & Sexual
Harassment

Preventive Measures for
Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment Policy

Internet Use

Workplace Environment

Scenario

Bullying at School

Cyber-Intimidation

Responding to Bullying

Parents Managing
Cyber-Bullying

Scenario

The Internet & Sexting

Examinations

At
the end of each chapter, you will be expected to complete an examination
designed to assess your knowledge. You may take these exams a total of three
times. Your last score will save, not the highest score. After your third
attempt, each examination will lock and not allow further access. The average from your exam scores will be printed on
your certificate.However, this is not
your final grade since your required writing assignments have not been
reviewed.Exceptionally written or
poorly written required writing assignments, or violation of the academic
integrity policy in the course syllabus, will affect your grade.As this is a self-paced computerized instruction
program, you may review course information as often as necessary. You will not
be able to exit any examinations until you have answered all questions. If you
try to exit the exam section before you complete all questions, your
information will be lost. You are expected to complete the entire exam in one
sitting.

Writing Assignments

This
course has two required writing components.ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE REVIEWED. Exceptionally or poorly written assignments, or
violation of the academic integrity policy noted in the course syllabus, will affect
your grade. Be sure to refer to the Grading Guidelines for Writing Assignments,
sent as an attachment with your original course link.

It is highly recommended that you write and save all
writing assignments in an external word processing program (such as Word or
Notepad), and then copy and paste these into the course program so that you
will have backup copies.

To
save your essays:

When you select the question
or article you wish to respond to, ‘Simple Text’ or ‘Text Edit’ will launch
automatically. When you are finished entering your response, simply click
SAVE.

You must SAVE before you write another essay or move
on to another part of the course.

1)Essay
Requirement: Critical Thinking Questions

There are four Critical Thinking Questions that you must
complete. You will do research on the questions and write brief essay responses relating it to the course content
(and your personal experiences, when possible).To view the questions, click on REQUIRED ESSAY and choose the Critical
Thinking Question that you are ready to complete; this will bring up a screen
where you may enter your essay.You must
write a minimum of 500 words (maximum 1,000) per essay.You may go back at any point to edit your
essays, but you must be certain to click SAVE once you have completed your
edits.

You must
SAVE before you write another essay or move on to another part of the course.

2) Essay Requirement: Journal Articles

This task requires you to write a review
of three peer-reviewed or scholarly journal articles, preferably written by an
author with a Ph.D. (blogs and news articles are not acceptable) of your choice
on a topic related to this course.You
may choose your topic by entering the Key Words (click on the Key Words button)
into a search engine of your choice (Bing, Google, Yahoo, etc.).Choose three relevant articles and write a
critical summary of the information given in each article, explaining how the
information relates to, supports, or refutes information given in this course.
Conclude your review with your thoughts and impressions (200 words per journal
article minimum, 400 words maximum). Be sure to provide the journal name,
volume, date, and any other critical information to allow the instructor to
access and review that article.

To write your essays, click on REQUIRED ESSAY and
choose the Journal Article that you would like to complete; this will bring up
a screen where you can write your review. When you are ready to stop, clickSAVE.You may go back at any point to edit your
essays, but you must be certain to click SAVE once you are done with your
edits. For more information on the features of this assignment, please consult
the HELP menu.

You must
SAVE before you write another essay or move on to another part of the course.

Instructor
Description

Candyce Reynolds is Associate Professor of Post
Secondary Adult and Continuing Education in the Graduate School of Education at
Portland State University and the chair of the Educational Leadership and
Policy department.Her current scholarship
focuses on developing inclusive classrooms and the role of a supportive
environment on student learning.She has
served at Portland State University as the Director of Affirmative Action where
she spearheaded the development of Sexual Harassment Training Program as well
as the development of the university’s sexual harassment and consensual
relationship policy.Currently, she also
works closely with a number of alternative and charter schools on their boards
or as a consultant in creating supportive learning environments.She holds an AB in Psychology and Social
Welfare from UC Berkeley and an MS and PhD in Counseling Psychology from the
University of Oregon.Dr. Reynolds is
past board member of Open Adoption and Family Services and the Leadership and
Entrepreneurial Public Charter High School in Portland, Oregon.

Contacting the Instructor

You may contact the instructor by emailing candyce_reynolds@virtualeduc.com
or by calling (509) 891-7219 Monday through Friday. When calling during office
hours messages will be answered within 24 hours. Phone conferences will be
limited to ten minutes per student, per day, given that this is a self-paced
instructional program. Please do not contact the instructor about technical
problems, course glitches, or other issues that involve the operation of the
course.

Technical Questions

If you
have questions or problems related to the operation of this course, please try
everything twice. If the problem persists please check our support pages for
FAQs and known issues at www.virtualeduc.com
and also the Help section of your course.

If you
need personal assistance then email support@virtualeduc.com
or call (509) 891-7219.When contacting
technical support, please know your course version number (it is located at the
bottom left side of the Welcome Screen) and your operating system, and be seated
in front of the computer at the time of your call.

Minimum Computer Requirements

Please refer to VESi’s
website: www.virtualeduc.com or
contact VESi if you have further questions about the compatibility of your
operating system.

Refer to the
addendum regarding Grading Criteria, Course Completion Information, Items to be
Submitted and how to submit your completed information. The addendum will also
note any additional course assignments that you may be required to complete
thatare not listed in this syllabus.

Martlew, M., & Hodgson, J. (1991).Children with mild learning disabilities in
an integrated and in a special school: comparisons of behaviour, teasing, and
teachers’ attitudes.British Journal of Educational Psychology, 61,
355-372.

Thompson, D., Whitney, I.,& Smith, P. (1993).Bullying of children with special needs in
mainstream schools.Support for learning, 9, 103-106.

Whitney, I. and Smith, P. (1993). A survey of the
nature and extent of bullying in junior/middle and secondary schools.Educational
Research, 35, 2-25.

University of Maryland at College Park. (1998).Sexual
harassment education resource manual. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from
http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/GenderIssues/SexualHarassment/UMDManual

Course content is updated every three years. Due to this update timeline,
some URL links may no longer be active or may have changed. Please type the
title of the organization into the command line of any Internet browser search
window and you will be able to find whether the URL link is still active or any
new link to the corresponding organization's web home page.